FAQ

Can I visit my dog? Absolutely! You are welcome to visit as often as you like; however, visits are not mandatory. Please keep in mind that more frequent visits can facilitate a smoother transition home for your dog as they adapt to their new manners. Many of our clients choose to visit every other week, while weekly visits are also beneficial. We understand that some clients may reside in other states, making frequent visits impractical. We kindly request a 24-hour notice prior to your arrival. Since weekends are popular for visits, we ask that you provide a two-hour window to ensure we can dedicate adequate training time with each dog owner.

What training tools do you use to train dogs?

For dogs in obedience, sport, or service training, we begin with treats to establish positive reinforcement. As the training progresses, we incorporate toys and fetching to further motivate the dog. We find that a prong collar is one of the most humane and effective methods for teaching a dog to walk on a leash. This process is an art form that requires time and proper technique.

Depending on the dog's age and size, we may or may not recommend the use of a prong collar after their time at CapeWest. At the owner's request, we can also condition your dog to respond to commands using an e-collar. E-collar conditioning is particularly useful if you anticipate your dog being at a distance and needing to return quickly, such as in an open field. An e-collar is only used once a dog fully understands a command and is only used to reinforce a command that is being engorged. 

Why are their suggested ages for training?  The suggested age requirements for dog training are important because they align with the developmental stages of a dog's life. Puppies have a limited capacity for learning, and during their early months, the focus should be on essential skills such as house training, recall, and impulse control. As dogs reach adolescence around 7 months and again at 12-14 months, their attention spans increase, allowing for more effective training sessions. This is a critical time to instill good habits and establish a solid foundation for well-mannered behavior.

Do you offer a 2-week program?

While we understand this timeframe is popular and often costly, we have received feedback indicating that many dogs struggle after completing such programs. Owners typically find that training learned under pressure (like with a prong collar or e-collar) does not adequately transfer back to everyday life.

We do not offer a 2-week program because it does not align with our philosophy of training happy dogs and owners. Our goal is to foster a lifelong relationship between dogs and their owners, rather than catering to the demand for instant results.

Dogs, with their natural instincts and behaviors, require time to adapt and build trust in their environment. We prioritize developing this relationship, allowing dogs time to absorb what they've learned and giving owners the chance to learn alongside their pets to reduce overwhelm when returning home.

After board & train what is expected from the dog's owners?  We ask you to continue working with your dog 2 times a day 5 days a week for 5-10 mins (more for sporting dogs & services as expected.)  We will teach you ways to train during feeding time, while walking them or practice recall while letting them run.  We like to turn cooking time into a good opportunity to reinforce place training. 

What are your drop off and pick up times? Drop-offs occur on Sundays. For dogs enrolled in weekly or monthly programs, the program concludes on the Friday of their last week. Most of our customers are home on weekends, and we want your dogs to enjoy quality time with you. Sending them home on Friday allows for a few days to adjust to their return while also giving the dog trainer some much-needed time off, as they care for a constant rotation of dogs.  Of course we are flexible with advanced notice, should you need to tack on a few days of boarding after training is finished we can always discuss those rates.  

Why board & train? Dogs learn best when in a consistent environment over a long period of time.  Having our family train the dog with consistent daily commands and tones helps the dog to retain the command & forms good habits. 

Dog Training Theory:  We train dogs to think on their own.  This allows the dog to use up all their energy on pleasing their humans.  Hand signals along with verbal commands are used to reinforce the command the human is wanting. This is also why our training program requires months of work. 

We specialize in training British Labradors. We will train any sporting dog breed, house dog breed for any type of work. We enjoy British lab's calm demeanor, smaller stature & desire to be obedient.  We procure, train & sell British Labs as Started Puppies or Trained dogs.  

What is CapeWest? CapeWest is the pet name for our house in Brock, Texas. We are a small business, family owned & operated.  In 2006, a country boy, Heath went to a rodeo where he sat next to a city girl, Caitlin: originally from Boston, MA.  We got married, had an adorable son, Heath Cole Jr.  In 2020, we built a home which needed a name that represented both of us.  Cape Cod is where Caitlin spent her summers & Heath, well, he's a Texan. So CapeWest felt fitting.  We have both indoor & outdoor cozy kennels on our fenced in 2.5 acres in Brock.  We also have 50 acres in Graford, Texas the dogs will go to for training & exercise.